Blood Tears
by KitsuneGirl911
Summary: Faust, wandering through the cemetery one night, comes across an unexpected stranger. This stranger bites him, turning Faust’s life into the worst horror he’s ever faced… Some yaoi.
1. Reborn

Blood Tears,

Chapter One:

Reborn

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

Note: I'm sorry in advance, this chapter is lacking in any Shaman King characters whatsoever. But it's necessary for the plot…

* * *

A dark figure walked through the graveyard, speaking not a word, making not a sound. An air of almost pure malice seemed to emanate from them. But the figure kept walking. It was midnight. No one would be there besides him. And if there was…they would be taken care of.

The figure came to a stop before one particular grave. It was very old and worn, and the name was almost impossible to read. They smiled.

* * *

His eyes shot open.

Darkness. Everything was dark. _Why? _His room was never this dark… He tried to sit up, his movements immediately halted by the hard walls all around him. He started to go into a panic. _What is this?_ He started to realize an overpowering smell, not unlike moist earth. His breath caught in his throat. Or was he not breathing? At once, everything came back. The disease, the pain, then…nothing. It came to his mind with an irrefutable certainty. _I'm dead. _His struggles started up again. The closed space was driving him insane! He suddenly stopped. _Wait a minute… _he realized what he had said before. _I'm dead! Is this what the afterlife is? _He shivered. _Or is this Hell? _He tried harder than ever to free himself from his confines. At last he succeeded, the hard wall giving in, instantly showering him with cold dirt. He pushed upwards, his hand eventually resting on some kind of plant. He heaved his body from the ground, his panic momentarily dissipated. He shook the dirt from his body, and then took in his surroundings.

It was obviously nighttime, but it wasn't a total darkness, for the moon was full. He looked around. He was definitely in a cemetery, but it didn't seem familiar to him. He looked behind him. There sat an old gravestone, but it was covered in moss, and therefore illegible. He peered at it curiously. _How long have I been buried? _He reached forward to brush some of the debris off. _Why is this so uncared for? Doesn't anyone in my family remember me? _When he finally cleared enough away, he read the inscription out loud.

"HERE LIES

Nicholas Marlo Valon

Born: April 16th 1823

Died: June 25th 1857"

Up to this point he had forgotten his name. Nicholas frowned. _How strange…I never noticed._ Then, suddenly, all of his memories surged back in a rush. The places he had been, the people he had seen, loved; all came back, flashing before his eyes. He remembered his mother and father…and his sister. He looked next to him. Her grave lied there, as well as his mother's and father's. Now he was confused. _I've been here before… My sister's grave is where it was, so why does none of this look the same? _He curled into himself, covering his face with his hands. _How long have I been dead?_ He was lost, utterly lost, and there was no one to help him. _But… Maybe there could be. _He stood up uncertainly, his steps coming jerkily at first, soon regaining their usual behavior.

"Is anyone there?" He called, his voice hoarse from what he supposed were years of disuse. "Can anyone hear me?" His cries echoed throughout the stillness that surrounded him. He finally received an answer.

'Hello.'

It was spoken not out loud, and he realized with a start that it was being spoken directly into his head.

"Who are you?"

'The one who brought you back.' If voices could sneer, this one would have.

"But what is your name? And why did you bring me back?"

'That is none of your concern. But I can tell you what year it is, I know you're just _dying_ to know that…'

Nicholas frowned, his distaste for the voice growing with each passing minute.

'It is the year 1999, it the month of August. One hundred and forty-two years have passed since your… Untimely demise…'

"And what do _you_ know about it?" he demanded, still uncertain if he should trust whoever was speaking to him.

'Oh… nothing… But what do you know about this time? Many things have changed since you were alive.' There was a cold laugh, one that sent shivers down Nicholas's spine. 'A great many things. I can help you.' The voices tone changed abruptly, losing its mysterious quality. 'What do you say?'

Nicholas thought about it. What could he possibly lose?

* * *

Over the next week or so, the voice, who still hadn't given its name or showed its face, taught Nicholas everything he needed to know. There was clearly much technological advancement, all of which were explained to him in great detail. However, now that he was caught up, Nicholas wondered what he would do next. The voice, who told him that he would 'find out soon enough', wasn't much of a help anymore. But they did give him enough money for the things he needed, like clothes. Nicholas had discovered that he liked the things people wore these days better than his old clothes.

Now he was wearing a black trench coat, under which he wore a dark red shirt and black pants. Quite stylish, really. But over the past few days Nicholas noticed that he had changed physically as well. His once tanned face was extremely pale, and every day the rest of his body seemed to be slowly losing color too, save for his dark black hair. He was forced to wear a pair of gloves because his fingernails had turned a sickly blue color. It was as if he really wasn't as alive as he was previously told. But he didn't care.

He didn't know that would soon change.


	2. Hunger

Blood Tears,

Chapter Two:

Hunger

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

* * *

One night, as Nicholas wandered around the cemetery, he noticed a sudden pain in his stomach. One that was not quite unlike a pang of extreme hunger. His eyes narrowed in confusion. Nicholas hadn't thought that he needed to eat now that he was dead; after all, he didn't need to breathe. So why this… this _agony _he was going through? Nicholas dropped to his knees; everything started to grow a bit fuzzy. Almost as if…As if… His eyes widened in shock.

"As if I'm dying, again…" He looked up. He wasn't willing to let that happen. "But what does one of the living dead eat?"

Nicholas suddenly stopped talking as he heard someone approaching. Out for a walk like him perhaps? Nicholas's eyes narrowed. Or were they trying to find him? He crept closer to them, keeping to the shadows. Nicholas noticed something quite peculiar as he watched the stranger grow closer. He felt as if _this_ was what he was supposed to do. He felt some kind of thrill, he could hear the man's heart beating as he drew ever closer. He could _hear_ the blood coursing through his veins…Now if he could only taste it… Nicholas jerked back in shock. What was he thinking? What was he? Some sort of…of monster? The grim realization sat heavily in his mind. That's what he was…a monster. Nicholas stared as the man walked past him, oddly dressed, even for this time period. But no matter. If he had to eat in order to survive, then so be it.

He closed his eyes and let his instinct guide him.

* * *

Faust walked through the graveyard, but unlike most nights, he got an uneasy feeling. He felt as if someone was watching him. Faust tried to ignore it, but it seemed to follow him. But he still paid it no mind, opting instead to try to enjoy his walk. It was his little 'break' from the others…and a break from his life. After a while, the feeling disappeared, but not too long afterwards came back stronger than ever. Faust walked a bit faster, finally choosing not to ignore his invisible assailant. He heard a small sound behind him, and he quickly turned around, hoping to get even a glimpse of his pursuer.

And he was not disappointed. The man that had been stalking him now stood before him, smiling in a way that made Faust even more anxious than he was before. He couldn't really make out any of the person's features, but Faust saw that the man was just as tall and pale as him, if not more so.

"What do you want?" Faust called out uncertainly.

The man remained silent, slowly walking towards the doctor. Faust backed away quickly.

"W-who are you?"

"Nekros."

And then the man leapt at him.

* * *

Blood.

His was so sweet, so pure.

He laughed.

Not like he would know. But he knew that the next wouldn't be as good as his first. So he didn't kill his first.

No.

He could _never_ do that.

He would make him _his._

His and his alone.

He was Nicholas no more.

Now he was Nekros, a creature of the night.

Somewhere in the distance, his 'master' laughed cruelly.


	3. Tears of Blood

Blood Tears,

Chapter Three:

Tears of Blood

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

Notes: Happy Christmahanakwanzaka!

* * *

Faust stumbled into his room later that night, holding his head and wondering what exactly had happened. One moment he was taking a walk through the graveyard, the next… He couldn't remember… It was all a blur, how did he get back? How come he didn't realize he had left the cemetery? Faust ran his had through his hair in an effort to calm himself a bit. Then his hand grazed his neck and he froze, feeling the twin puncture wounds there.

"No…" he gasped out, voice quiet in shock. It couldn't be! He ran to his mirror, looking at his neck closely. Unfortunately it was. Faust supposed that it made sense; he had been walking through the older parts of the cemetery… But surely he would remember being attacked! But he still had no idea what happened… He remembered being chased… Faust shook his head sadly. His memory had probably been erased, it was no use.

Faust had never felt so totally lost and alone since Eliza died. His eyes welled up, slowly spilling over. Faust looked up at his mirror again, and then he jumped back in shock. His tears were not normal tears…they were tears of blood. He furiously rubbed his face, trying in fright to get rid of it. Not just the blood, but the nightmare that his life was slowly becoming. He stopped, breathing heavily.

"Why? Why me?" He asked quietly to his ceiling. "What have I done to deserve this? I am already cursed!" He must have said that last part louder than he thought, for someone was knocking on his door. Rather loudly as well, he might add.

"Keep it down in there Faust! _Some_ of us are trying to _sleep_!" Apparently it was Ren, yelling at him for something as usual. Though it was rather rude, Faust kept silent as asked. After all, it wasn't as if there was anyone he could talk to about this. Faust started to cry again, slumped against his wall like he had been for the past few minutes. This time, he didn't even try to wipe the tears away.

* * *

The next morning, Faust opened his eyes to see his reflection staring back at him. He instantly scrambled away if fright. His face had twin bloodstains on it that ran right into his previously white coat. The bags under Faust's eyes seemed more pronounced than usual, and his skin was paler, creating a stark contrast. The overall effect was that it seemed he had died overnight. Faust's eyes had the dull clouded look that was only found in corpses. Even his hair seemed paler, more lifeless. He started to breathe erratically.

"This can't be happening…" He gasped, still shocked by his appearance. It was as if he had turned into a totally different person. A person he didn't know. A person he didn't _want_ to know. Not now, not ever. Faust couldn't break his eyes from the mirror. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break himself away. He grabbed one of his many heavy books, and heaved it at the image that tormented him so. The glass shattered as expected. However, when Faust looked down, he saw that each shard held another reflection. They seemed to look up at him with mocking smirks. Faust covered his eyes, shaking with emotion.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted, slamming his hands down upon the many shards, watching as the glass cut deep into his hands. He watched as he lifted those hands, and saw that they weren't bleeding. It was as if he was having a nightmare, or as if he were watching the darkest of horror movies. Either way, it didn't quite seem like it was real. There was no way it could be. Was there?

He had to get away! He had to escape this! Faust threw open his door, slamming it shut behind him, breathing raggedly. Ren walked by, glaring as usual, but Faust didn't notice him even though his eyes were wide open. Almost past their furthest extent. He just stood there and shook, his frazzled nerves sorting themselves out. Apparently Ren noticed this, for he paused mid-step and turned around, his eyes gazing down at the doctor.

"What's wrong with you _now_? And why the hell are you bleeding? One of your experiments fail?" Ren smirked coldly.

Faust looked down at his hands hopefully, wondering if maybe it _was_ a dream, and that he was awake now, but there was still no blood welling up from his cuts. His face fell from the solidity of everything now. He _was_ truly like this. After all, meeting another person usually let Faust see things as they really were; breaking him from the elaborate scenes he so often painted for himself.

"Experiment?" He heard himself saying, "Maybe I'm just someone else's…" He turned his gaze to the boy in front of him. "And I'm _not_ bleeding... See?" Faust held his horribly gouged hands up to Ren for proof. The color instantly drained from the boy's face.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Freak!" Ren turned away, hurrying down to his room, slamming his door shut loudly as soon as he entered it.

The door of the room next to Faust's opened at almost exactly the same second that Ren's closed, and Ryu stepped out.

"What was that?" Apparently he had been listening to everything.

"N-nothing Ryu." Why was he stuttering?

Ryu frowned.

"It wasn't 'nothing'. He said you were bleeding…And you were." Ryu pointed to Faust's coat and face, which were still bloodstained.

Faust rubbed at his eyes, and tried to assure Ryu that he was alright, but to no avail.

"Well, you look a bit shaken up anyway… Maybe if you ate something you would feel better…?"

Faust nodded in agreement, if only to be alone for a while. As he lost sight of Ryu, he slowly sank to the floor to think this through. Everything added up didn't it? The cemetery…the bite marks…the blood whenever he cried…his dead appearance…And now the strange bloodless cuts on his hands. He looked down at his palms, but the only thing that was cut was his gloves. Faust hurriedly turned his hands over, but it was the same on the other side too. How could he have possibly healed that quickly? He shook his head. This was something that was going to take some getting used to… There weren't even any scars! Faust supposed the only thing that Ryu had noticed were the shredded remains of his gloves, so he guessed that was a good thing.

By the time Faust had come to the conclusion that, yes, it _was_ a good thing, Ryu had returned. He held a bowl of what appeared to be soup, which Faust accepted gratefully. But when he raised the first spoonful to his mouth, he realized that he couldn't swallow it. It felt as if his body was refusing to take it in, that his throat had closed up on him. After a few moments he managed to get it down, and he regretted it instantly. It seemed to scald its way down, leaving him with the feeling that his insides were on fire.

Ryu noticed his peculiar expression.

"Hey, what is it?"

"Ryu, what's in this?" Faust grimaced; he wished he hadn't sounded quite so harsh… But Ryu proceeded to list the ingredients.

"…and garlic" he finished, frowning. "Why?"

Faust was silent a moment. "Well, I seem to be allergic to garlic." An unspoken 'now' hung on the air.

"Oh, I didn't know that, or I wouldn't have-"

"Well, I didn't know it either." Faust laughed quietly.

"I guess you're right…But I still feel sorry." Ryu sighed.

"Just go back to whatever you were doing Ryu." Faust grimaced. "And I'll go back to what I'm best at…"

"What's that?"

Faust looked up, his eyes blank.

"Never you mind…" He let him self trail off and returned to his room, leaving Ryu to walk disappointedly back to his.


	4. Obedience

Blood Tears,

Chapter Four:

Obedience

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

Note: As to why he still has a reflection: Faust isn't a full vampire yet. That's why. Also, before people chew me out over this, I'm not too sure on the location of everything… (Not like the cemetery, but where everyone else is.) So if you find something wrong, please let me know what I can change it to in order to fix it.

* * *

Nekros walked through the town, thinking about his life. It was quite obvious that it was better then before, no work, no responsibilities… Just…this new existence, the need to kill, to take the life blood from others to keep himself moving. He could hardly even remember his past now though. It seemed that the more he grew used to this life, the more he forgot about his old one. He frowned. And there was one other thing. That infernal voice in his head.

Who was it?

What had they to hide?

Then again, he hadn't heard from them in quite a long time…

'Why, is that loneliness I hear in your thoughts Nicholas?'

His eyes narrowed and he growled mentally as he slipped into the nearest shadow.

'My name's Nekros now. I should've expected you to know that _'voice'_.'

'Voice?' A laugh. 'Why should you have known my name, when I did not know yours? I'm a telepath, not a psychic. And by the way, I must say you turned out better than expected… I may even let you…' The voice trailed off, and its presence vanished.

"Let me what?" Nekros questioned angrily. "Come back and tell me! What do you mean '_let_ me'!" For he was free, bound to no one, nothing. Why should he answer to this invisible entity? Why should he let someone too cowardly to show themselves hold sway over _him_?

"My master wishes to see you now."

Nekros whirled around to see who had spoken. There stood a girl, who looked to be around twenty. She had short layered blond hair that covered her eyes, so he couldn't see her expression. Her clothing was very much like his.

"What do you want?" He asked angrily; mad that someone could sneak up on him so easily.

"It is not what I want, it's what _you_ wanted. He wants to speak with you. Face to face."

Slowly, it dawned on Nekros that this was a messenger, sent from the 'voice'. Well, at least he knew that it wasn't just in his head now.

"Fine. Lead the way." He waved a hand noncommittally.

She merely smiled and stepped backwards, into a particularly dark shadow; immediately disappearing, much to Nekros' annoyance.

"Hey!" He shouted, rushing forward to find where she went. As soon as Nekros stepped into the shadow, he realized that it must be some sort of portal. After all, why else would he now be surrounded by an elaborately carved hallway? Ah! And there she was, waiting for him, smiling in an odd sort of emotionless way that made him stand on edge.

"This way." She commanded, turning away from him slowly.

He followed.

The hall seemed to stretch on forever, or at least a mile, he decided after a few minutes. When they reached the just as elaborately carved ebony door, Nekros actually became a bit nervous, wondering what lay in wait on the other side of the door. Before he could turn back, however, the girl pulled open the door and beckoned him inside. It was dark; the opposite end of the room was plunged entirely in shadow, too dark to make anything but the outlines of things out.

A cold voice echoed throughout the room.

"I knew you'd come… Nekros." There seemed to be a mocking edge in his voice, and Nekros bristled a bit, but wisely held his tongue. "Silence, hm? You're smarter than you seem. Good."

"You still haven't told me who you are!"

"All in good time…" The voice drawled. Nekros could hear movement from its general direction. Then footsteps, slow and steady, heading straight for him. He didn't flinch. Then, at last, his 'voice' had a face. The man was shorter than him, but in a way, seemed tall. He had dark, watery gimlet eyes, and seemed to be staring straight through him, rather than at him. He brushed his hair away from his face with one gloved hand, and smiled.

Nekros disliked him instantly, hating the cold and empty feeling that emanated from his very core.

"My name, as I'm sure you have been wondering about _that_," He spoke as if he was talking to a child, one who should be thinking about other things. "is Garradus." He finished.

"Garradus? Well, now why couldn't you have told me that before? And don't give me that 'I didn't know yours' crap again; you probably know more about me than I do!"

"True, true. But that's why I called you here. I can tell you how to fully use the new abilities you have now, I can physically train you for what comes next."

"'What comes next?'"

"Well yes. I didn't bring you back for _your_ benefit you know. Now come closer and let's get started, shall we?" It was a statement, not a question.

Nekros obeyed.


	5. Rage

Blood Tears,

Chapter Five:

Rage

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

Note: Yes I _know_ everyone's out of character in this chapter, but I didn't want to have to add more characters just so this chapter would flow right… Sorry if that seems lazy, but generally, people don't like too many new characters…I think…

* * *

Apparently what Faust was best at was hiding in his room, muttering to himself in the darkness. After it became clear that he wasn't coming out anytime soon, Ryu started pacing. While he paced, he thought about Faust's behavior. He didn't know why, but he had the feeling that something was drastically wrong. And there was nothing he could do… Ryu stopped pacing and slammed his fist into the wall harshly, not noticing the blood run from his lacerated knuckles and stain the splintered wood. If only Faust would open up! If only he would let someone know what was wrong! If only… Ryu sank to his knees.

* * *

Hours later, long after Ryu had washed the blood from his hands, Horohoro and Ren walked by the room. Horohoro blinked, trying in vain to figure out what had happened to the wall. Ren whacked his shoulder.

"Someone punched it you idiot."

"Oh… Hey, you didn't have to hit me!" Horo held his shoulder and stuck his tongue out playfully. "But who did it then? Anna's gonna have a fit…"

"True." Ren stared at the wall intently. The hole was too big to be from anyone else than Ryu. Ren closed his eyes. Ryu was a good fighter, and a good person too, which was quite rare, in Ren's opinion. But it seemed like Faust's vile influence had ensnared him, turning him from the path of what was right to the path of the darkness Faust exuded. Ren's lip curled, it was sickening! Of all the things! He was corrupting the few good people in the world, and that was something Ren couldn't allow… Ryu, Yoh, Anna, even Manta! He of all people shouldn't let his guard down!

"Hey Ren? You okay?" Horohoro asked, turning around when he realized Ren wasn't following him. The expression on Ren's face was worrying as well.

"I'm fine," Ren opened his eyes and his expression cleared. "I'm fine, but…" Ren gritted his teeth. "This is all Faust's fault!" Horohoro stayed where he was, a safe distance from his friend. "We might as well let him know that… Come on Horohoro." Ren walked purposely towards Faust's room, but Horohoro shook his head and returned to his own. Sometimes, Ren could really be an idiot, he decided.

Ren knocked on the door sharply, frowning when he heard no movement. Ren smirked, maybe Faust had died? But no, the door swung open slowly. Ren had a start when he was confronted with Faust's bloodstained and sullen face. There was a hint of pain in his eyes… and something else.

"Yes?"

"You know why I'm here, Faust."

Faust honestly had no clue what Ren could be talking about, so he just nodded and tuned him out. There were more important things to worry about. He felt like he hadn't eaten in years, which was almost true, but it just _hurt_ so much… Ren was becoming rather loud and annoying too, Faust noted as he watched him rant with a dull expression.

Faust stared at Ren's neck, not hearing his words, just staring at the steady pulse that beat just below its surface. Suddenly, he tackled Ren to the floor, grabbing tight to his legs as he kicked and struggled to get away. With more strength and speed than he normally possessed, Faust had the boy flipped over and pinned. His left arm held Ren's by the wrist, and his right forced down Ren's other arm, and tilted his neck to one side. Ren was lucky Faust hadn't broken it in his haste to… do what?

Ren's question was answered as Faust bit down, grinding his teeth through skin and flesh, almost straight down to the bone. Blood flowed freely from the wound, and Faust lapped at it gleefully. Ren let out a shrill cry of pain and terror, and Horohoro, upon hearing this, bolted from his room to see what the trouble was. He stopped short upon seeing them, eyes immediately drawn to the shredded skin at the side of Ren's once unscarred neck.

He immediately sprung to action, grabbing Faust's shoulders and forcefully yanking them him back, but Faust swung his arm out, flinging Horo into the wall. He was dazed for a moment, and Faust growled at him for good measure, before turning back to continue what he was doing. But Ren, taking advantage of having his right arm freed, pushed Faust away and Horohoro, finally off the floor, pinned Faust's arms to his sides and hauled him off of his friend. Their combined effort was just barely enough to remove him. But Faust did not take kindly to being interrupted and fought vigorously to get away. He shrieked and writhed, legs flailing, finally connecting with HoroHoro's knee. He fell to the floor with a barely audible grunt, but still wouldn't release his captive. Faust's shrieks were becoming louder and more frequent, each sounding more angry and inhuman than the last. Horo dreaded to think of what Faust would do to him if he let go, but thankfully, the noise had carried far, getting Yoh and Ryu's attention.

They arrived on the scene just as Horo's strength gave out. Faust, now free, hissed at them, bearing canines that were only slightly longer, but very noticeably a great deal sharper. Blood dripped from his fangs to the floor like red rain, creating a small puddle that pooled around his feet. With a start, Yoh and Ryu realized it was the now unconscious Ren's. But Faust paid them no mind, focusing his withering gaze on the Ainu only. His eyes were red with loathing and fiery with anger.

"Why are you doing this?" Ryu cried, distracting Faust and drawing his wild eyes, empty of all rational thought, to him. He regretted it instantly as he paled under the full weight of the glare. Yoh, meanwhile, had snuck behind Faust, and now proceeded to give him a sharp blow to the head. Faust whipped around to face him, but soon gave in and lost consciousness before he could do any more harm.

"What happened?" Yoh asked, running over to Ren and sighing in relief as he noticed that the wound had missed the main artery of his neck, but only just. Ren would not die, but he would still lose a lot of blood if they didn't do something.

"I don't know," Horohoro panted tiredly. "I just heard Ren cry out and I ran out to see pretty much the same thing you did." He paused, suddenly deep in thought.

Despite the question racing through everyone's mind at the moment, namely about what made Faust do this, Ren still needed medical attention.

"Damn it! How come the one person who would know what to do now, is the one who caused all this?" Yoh cried in frustration.

"You know just about as much as I do Yoh…" Ryu shook his head. "The first thing we should do is stop the blood flow from _that_," Ryu hazarded a glance at Ren and shuddered. "I'm sure Faust must keep his medical stuff in his room, I'll go get something…"

He turned around pushing open the door cautiously. The coppery scent of blood filled the air, but Ryu ignored it and switched on the light. He was greeted with the still unmoved mirror shards on the floor, a book with two smears of blood staining its cover lying on top of them. In the corner, near the wall, there was a haphazard spotting of blood, looking rather like fallen tears. Ryu shook his head. That was ridiculous!

He quickly spotted a bit of bandaging hanging out of Faust's dresser, and yanked open the drawer. Ryu grabbed some gauze and bandages, rushing back out and handing them over to Yoh, who, with a surprising amount of efficiency, cleaned and dressed Ren's wound. They carried him back to his bed, all noticing as they set him down that large bruises were starting to appear. Ren would probably be in considerable pain when he woke up.

After mentally going through his options, Horohoro finally voiced his idea.

"We should tie Faust up or something guys, I don't really want to go through that all over again. And we better be quick about it, or else he'll wake up before we have the chance to do anything!"

The others nodded their silent agreement and went off in search of something to use as suitable bonds. They converged a few moments later when they found some old, yet still strong, rope. They tied Faust's wrists and ankles, which made him pretty much helpless. Now all that was left to do was wait.


	6. Escape

Blood Tears,

Chapter Six:

Escape

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

* * *

"When he wakes up, I want some answers!" Was the first thing Faust heard when he finally came back to consciousness.

"Yes, _when _he wakes up…" He could hear Ryu answer.

'When who wakes up?' He wondered. 'Surely not me!' A stray lock of hair was becoming quite bothersome, so Faust tried to fix it. His movements were halted by rope, wound tightly around his wrists and ankles. Suddenly, all of the previous events replayed themselves mentally, and Faust groaned. What had made him do that? At least the blood he had managed to get had stopped the pain… And he felt nothing from what Yoh did… that was something to be grateful about. He winced. The ropes were becoming downright _painful_!

"Hello? Are you still out there?" He could hear a lot of scrambling to feet, and Ryu, Yoh, and Horohoro walked in, the latter glaring at him with pure hate. Faust shivered. He'd never liked it when people hated him…

"What the hell is wrong with you Faust?" Horo shouted angrily. "Why the hell did you just…just bite Ren?"

Faust looked up sadly.

"I couldn't help it… I needed to, or else I would've died! He wouldn't have been hurt too badly!"

"Well he sure is 'hurt badly' now! You're lucky you didn't kill him, or else I'd…" Horo shook with suppressed emotion, relaxing slightly when he felt Ryu rest a hand on his shoulder.

"Well I never! My aim wasn't off, why would it be?" Faust sniffed haughtily, then stopped. "What am I saying?" He shrank into himself, his eyes wide and afraid. "Why is this happening to me?" He whispered sadly.

"Why is what happening?" Yoh asked.

"Well I-" He paused. It wouldn't hurt to tell them what he thought, would it? "I was bitten by a vampire." he finished.

There was silence for a few moments.

"What?" Ryu asked stupidly.

"I think you're crazier than we thought…"

"There's no way you're a vampire! Dude! Your fangs are so fake! They're not nearly long enough!"

Faust hissed at him.

"Not _yet_ of course, you idiot. I haven't been fully turned yet." Faust rolled his eyes. "And could you please untie me? These things are starting to become quite painful…"

"No." Horohoro answered stubbornly.

"Please?" He whined, giving them his best 'please-help-me-it-hurts-really-bad' look.

"Can't we just loosen them a little bit? Not enough to let him get out, but enough to stop cutting off his circulation?"

Faust wisely chose not to mention the fact that he had little to no circulation anyway. He looked at Horohoro pleadingly. Horo sighed.

"Fine, but just a little bit."

Ryu turned to the ropes around Faust's wrists, missing the glance he shot at Horo behind his back. Faust looked strangely happy, yet his eyes were filled with loathing. It was _Horo_ who got everyone so worked up over nothing! He strained his wrists against his bonds.

"Wow, we tied these tighter than I thought!" Ryu exclaimed as he loosened the knot.

But Yoh and Horohoro saw Faust's expression, and they rushed forward to stop him.

"No!"

"Wait!"

Ryu finished and turned around.

"What?"

"He's going to…escape…" Horohoro finished lamely, seeing Faust look at him innocently, still tied and helpless. Maybe they were wrong?

"No he's not! Now come on, I think I hear the others coming back…" Ryu went out with Yoh to tell the others what happened.

Horohoro lingered by the doorway, glaring at Faust.

"I know you're up to something."

"You're right. I am." Faust sat up, and with his newly freed hands, untied the remaining rope and tossed it aside.

"What?" Horohoro exclaimed. "How did-? You were- I thought-"

Faust laughed quietly.

"I was, and I really must thank Houdini… his methods really _do_ work wonders…"

Horohoro glared at Faust harder.

"Well you're going to be right back the way you were in a second!"

Faust smiled coldly.

"Not if I can help it."

Horohoro turned to shout a warning to the others, but he was knocked to the ground by something he couldn't see yet, but he could certainly feel it on him. As it turned out, it was Frankensteiny; Faust's faithful, if long dead, dog. His teeth were poised just over Horo's throat. Faust walked over and shut the door, locking it quietly.

"If you shout, you'll be dead before any help arrives." Faust grabbed Horohoro's hair roughly, forcing the boy to look at him. "You got that?" Faust's only answer was to be spat on by an irate Ainu. He wiped his face off roughly, and then growled, kicking Horohoro sharply in the stomach, making him double up in pain. Horohoro didn't see Faust climb out the window.

When Horo came to, his eyes darted around the room. Frankie sat in the corner, watching him with hollow eye sockets. Faust was nowhere to be seen, and he swore loudly. Horohoro tried the door, but Faust had locked it. This meant he was trapped in the room, as Anna had insisted that the lock only work from the outside. By now everyone had noticed his presence, or rather, lack thereof, and began to look him. Hearing his outraged cry, they opened the door to see Horo glaring around the room, and Frankie, who wagged his tail happily before nudging Ryu's hand, obviously wanting to be petted. Ryu complied without thinking.

"What happened?" Yoh asked. "Where'd he go?"

"I don't know!" Horohoro shouted angrily. "He probably used his vampire powers or something!"

"You believe him?" Yoh asked incredulously.

"No…But that's the only explanation I can think of…The door was locked, and I was laying on the floorboards, so he couldn't have used a secret tunnel…"

"What about the window?" Ryu finally spoke up, breaking from his thoughts and pulling his hand from Frankie.

Yoh frowned.

"It doesn't open. Anna picked this room for a reason…"

Horohoro grimaced; he could almost imagine Faust saying, 'It didn't' in that new way of his. He swore again, standing and pulling back the curtain to reveal an open window.

There was an uneasy silence.


	7. Feed

Blood Tears,

Chapter Seven:

Feed

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

* * *

Faust ran from his room into the evening's dull light. Suddenly, every bit of exposed skin on his body felt as if it were on fire, and Faust almost cried out, but instead ran into the shadow of a building, taking refuge in the alleyway. He had almost forgotten about his many new weaknesses… He eyed the bits of splintered wood that littered the ground warily. At least he wasn't a full vampire yet, or else he would most definitely be dead right now. He sighed. And when would that happen? All he knew about what he was becoming were from books, little fragments of truth only.

Faust knew that the only way he would learn what he needed to know was to find the one who had made him this way. What did he say his name was? Nekros. Yes, that was it, he must find Nekros… The daylight had been slowly retreating, and only now did Faust dare to venture out from his sanctuary. He walked through the streets slowly, all at once shockingly aware of his surroundings. He could see better now than ever before, despite the black of night closing around him. He could hear the footsteps of small animals in the bushes and trees; he could hear their breathing, their swift and steady pulse…

Faust shook his head; now was not the time! But the startling clarity wouldn't fade, wouldn't let him think. He needed to get away, where could he go to calm down? A single place entered Faust's mind. The cemetery. Of course! He might even find who he was looking for there. Faust turned around and ran back the way he came, trying to ignore the sounds and sights of the night from getting to him. When he finally arrived at his destination, he wasn't even out of breath. Faust smiled, that could come in handy sometime… He slowed himself to a leisurely pace; finally his senses calmed down and subsided to their previous norm. Even without his enhanced sight, Faust could pick his way through the graves easily, occasionally running his hands along one lovingly. The dead were better company than the living, Faust decided gleefully. _Much_ better…

_But what about Ryu? _A voice in his head spoke, _He's one of the living... and ever so kind… _Faust had almost forgotten… But he never really could, could he? Ryu was always there, not caring what the others thought, always being so nice… He would never forget.

A voice shook him from his thoughts and wiped the smile from his face. "One would do well not to wander at this time of night…"

"So you finally came… Nekros…"

"Ah, but why would I leave you? You owe this to me you know…" Nekros moved closer.

"Oh?" Faust asked, feeling Nekros' cold breath on his neck. He involuntarily tilted his head, giving Nekros better access.

"Your blood is so sweet… No one will ever be the same as you… It'll be a pity when I drain you dry… But not yet… Not yet." Nekros sank his fangs into Faust's neck, but despite their size, Faust felt nothing. Just dully noted himself getting weaker…weaker… And then, it was over. Faust stood shakily for a moment, and then collapsed to the cemetery grass, legs splayed out beneath him. "You came because you needed answers, correct? Well, I shall see to it that you get them. You must promise to meet me here at this time, on the next full moon. Three days… Promise me?"

Faust nodded weakly. He just lost so much blood… But the wound was already healed…It didn't make him feel any better though…

"Let's take care of the _now_, shall we?" Nekros picked Faust up and carried him from the cemetery, smiling crookedly when Faust snuggled closer, looking for warmth. But there was none. And there never would be…

* * *

As soon as his feet were free of hallowed ground, a pair of leathery bat's wings made their appearance on Nekros' back. He hissed in pain, though recovered quickly, taking to the night skies easily, though with very little grace. Faust decided that if he was ever able to fly, he would take special care not to do so _that_ inelegantly. Flight was freedom, and freedom is beautiful, and has always been as such. But at the moment, he was too weak to care about voicing his opinion, resigning himself to the feeling of hunger gnawing at the pit of his stomach. If he had to deal with it much longer, he might just have to turn around on Nekros and get his blood back. Something in the back of his mind said that this wasn't the time yet, so he didn't follow that thought through, tempting as it was…

"We're here," Nekros whispered into Faust's ear, causing him to shiver, "The city slums and back alleyways, full of the darkest kind of people, and those wishing for death. And why should we deny them that which they so desire?" He descended just as ungracefully as before, setting Faust on his feet as he did so. Faust swayed a little, but did not fall. Nekros smiled. "You're stronger than you seem, my sweet. Wait here, and _don't move_."

Faust frowned, but did as he was told. He blinked. 'My sweet?'

"Of all the things…" He rolled his eyes. Faust stood there pondering this for a good five minutes or so, extremely glad that he couldn't feel the cold. And then, from the shadows, Nekros appeared. He dragged behind him a young teenage girl, blond, and wearing worn out old clothes. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she was trembling like a leaf.

Nekros came to a complete stop now that he had come back to where he'd started. He set his hands almost lovingly on the girl, one lightly holding her shoulder, the other caressing the side of her neck. With a sickening crack, he had broken her neck, leaving her limp and lifeless in his still strong grasp. Nekros turned to Faust, smiling slightly at his semi-shocked expression. It didn't look like he was shocked about the fact he had just killed someone, just probably _who_ it was. People always said to be gentle with girls… So he was. Right before he killed them. A virgin girl's blood was sweet, yet sometimes almost sickeningly so. Ah well, he was never one for sugary things anyway.

"Come, you must be _starving_." Nekros put as much hissing emphasis on the word as possible, his gimlet eyes staring into Faust's. He watched as Faust's eyes darkened, almost imperceptibly, for a moment, before reverting to normal, causing him to put a hesitant hand to his temples and felt his ragged breath on his cold hand, the other pulled his coat around him tighter.

"No, I can't…"

"She's already dead, you wouldn't want her death to be wasted do you?" Nekros' voice purred, getting into the doctor's subconscious.

"No…I suppose…not…" Faust's breath came in short gasps as he tried to resist the temptation, the warm blood that still lay beneath the girl's pale skin… That train of thought wasn't helping matters any. He wasn't going to… he wouldn't become a… murderer. But he already was… No, he wasn't… And he wouldn't… drink… from the girl…

Faust's eyes fluttered closed as he began to drain her corpse of it's once life sustaining blood. He couldn't believe he was doing this! But it felt so right… And with Nekros' eyes boring into him, he couldn't stop. …But did he want to? Her blood was warm… And it felt wonderful. He eventually gave up resisting, finally able to appreciate the experience fully, and became disappointed after a few moments when he realized there was nothing left in her pale body. He released his grip on her neck, letting her fall to the ground in a crumpled heap as he licked the blood off of his hands slowly, savoring the taste.

Behind him, Nekros smirked. He knew the blond would come around eventually; it had been only a matter of time. Nekros stepped forward, pressing his body up to Faust's and letting his hands trace his slight figure. At first the doctor was receptive to his advance, but he soon came back to his senses, stiffening up for a second before struggling free from his grasp, turning around and slapping the vampire across the face sharply.

"What do you think you are doing?" Faust hissed, obviously annoyed.

Nekros narrowed his eyes, annoyed as well. "You would do well not to resist me…"

"And you would do well to _keep your hands off me_!" Faust shouted, brushing Nekros' wandering hands off for a second time. This time however, Nekros didn't react with such good humor. He grabbed a fistful of Faust's hair, pulling back hard. He sneered at the doctor's pained, but still defiant expression. Drawing in close, feeling Faust's still warm breath ghosting along his face, Nekros spoke, his tone low and dangerous, like a live-wire about to hit water.

"You forget, I _made_ you. You are _mine_. Do I need to break you? It would be such a shame to rid you of your," He licked Faust's neck, dragging his tongue along the life's blood pumping below. "…fire." He smirked, releasing his hold. Faust, without being given any warning, was unprepared for the loss of support, painful as it was. He fell to Nekros' leather-booted feet with a pained cry. Nekros smiled darkly at the sound. Such a wonderful noise… He'd have to make him do it again… Instead, he settled for crouching down low, to whisper in Faust's ear. "Remember, three days." His tone grew harsh. "Don't forget." He cut off whatever protest the blond might have made with a brutal kiss, far from chaste. Nekros stood and turned to walk away, leaving Faust lying on the alleyway ground, licking the blood from his lips smugly. He would come, he was sure of it.


	8. Shaken

Blood Tears,

Chapter Eight:

Shaken

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

* * *

Faust stood up slowly once Nekros' retreating form faded into the darkness. He felt sick, but bit down the urge to empty his stomach's contents. After all, he really didn't want to kill anyone, or have a repeat of that incident with Ren. It seemed so long ago now, like a faded memory.

Three days… In three days he would be forced into a life he didn't want, with no escape in sight. Or rather, a _death_ he didn't want. But what would happen to him if he didn't meet Nekros like he was supposed to? He remembered reading somewhere that half-vampires who weren't fully turned changed into mindless monsters, doing everything their masters wished of them. Faust shivered, pulling his blood soaked coat tighter around himself again. He couldn't allow that, he thought with growing conviction.

He walked back the way they must have come, trying not to get lost in the labyrinth of dirty streets surrounding the area. The people here were a shady lot, though he must have fit in now, or else they were just ignoring him, for neither looked at the other. Though whether it was because of him or because of them, he didn't know. Nor care to.

Wandering aimlessly with thoughts running through his head, he soon lost track of time. Unfortunately, the sun was rising, and although it did him no physical harm, it still made him feel absolutely awful. So he retreated to the shadows and he waited. He was unable to rest though, for he kept seeing _his_ face in his mind. He could see Nekros' eyes as he sentenced him to a life- or rather- death full of never-ending horrors. But it didn't have to be all bad, did it? Surely, with his new abilities, he could find a way to bring Eliza back. Suddenly his heart was filled with insufferable sadness. No… No matter whether it was in the best of intentions or not, he would never, _ever_ curse her to a fate like his. He shuddered briefly, turning the collar of his coat up to cover his face.

'What kind of desperation am I in that I would think such things about the woman I love? Obviously enough to lessen my worth as a person… Nein. I will not dwell on it any longer. But what will I do? Where will I go?' It brought to mind a memorable movie quote…

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn…"

And with that, he turned over and fell asleep, his dreams full of blood and lilies.

* * *

For the next few nights, Faust did nothing but think about his upcoming transformation, and the consequences it brought about. He was pacing in the streets, occasionally looking up at the now almost completely full moon. Faust leveled his gaze on the clock that hung on the wall in front of him.

'Well, this is it. In 24 hours, you'll be dead.' Faust turned away 'Not that I was very 'alive' to begin with even before all of this.' His eyes burned with suppressed emotion as he fought to never admit losing to death once again… But this time he couldn't bring life back…

* * *

As unlikely a place to find help as could be, he had decided to go back from whence he ran away from. Perhaps Ryu would understand… Faust could see the moon rising now…He hadn't wanted to drag him into this, but it was his last hope; and also Ryu, of all people, deserved an explanation.

Faust hugged his arms closer to his body; lately he had been increasingly unable to keep warm. He walked briskly, hurrying to get to Ryu before the moon reached its zenith. He had a rather unnerving feeling of being watched. He turned around, but there were only the empty streets behind him, dead leaves blowing around in ever present waves. Faust turned back around breaking out in a run now, his inhuman speed making the trees and buildings flash by in a blur.

He broke into the room with little difficulty, after all _Ryu's _window wasn't permanently locked. Ryu hadn't noticed his entry at first, but when he did, he jumped off his bed and pressed against the opposite wall in shock.

"Faust? You…? What?"

Faust smirked sardonically.

"Still afraid of me Ryu?" He purred. "_You _needn't worry. It's only those traitorous 'friends' of mine that have to… worry."

Ryu stepped forward from the wall, reaching out comfortingly, but stopping before any actual contact.

"Faust. What's happened to you?"

Faust shook his head sadly, looking up at Ryu from his place on the floor. He sighed.

"Unfortunately, there is no time for me to tell you everything, but I can tell you what you need to know. I was bitten by a vampire some few nights ago." Faust took Ryu's disbelieving look in stride, as he knew that would be his initial reaction. He paused to let Ryu put the facts together; and seeing his eyes widen in realization, continued. "I didn't want to attack Ren, I just couldn't help it. You see Ryu, unfortunately this will soon be permanent. You are my last hope! I don't want to die Ryu! I don't!" He had latched onto Ryu's leg and looked at him beseechingly through his lashes.

Ryu was speechless for a long moment before he finally spoke.

"How soon?"

Faust blinked back his tears, although some blood still managed to escape down the sides of his face. Ryu realized with a start that his earlier assumption that the blood marks in Faust's room were indeed dried tears was true.

"In only an hour or less… Oh Ryu! I don't know what I'm going to do!" This time, the tears were unable to be held back, and spilled forth like water from a broken dam. Upon seeing this, instead of merely imagining it, nearly made Ryu recoil in horror. As it was, it took a lot of willpower to hold back anything but a small shudder.

"So this… All of this… Is true then? I mean, it's a little hard to believe, but if it's really true-!" Ryu voice held that excited tone of one who had just discovered one of the world's greatest secrets.

Faust looked up at him silently for a few seconds, before reaffirming his words with an, "All that I said, I meant it." That left no room for argument or discussion.

Ryu took Faust's hands into his own, squeezing them consolingly for a moment. He looked deep into his pale eyes as he said, meaningfully:

"Then I'll do everything that is in my power to help you, Faust."

Faust smiled, albeit ruefully.

"Thank you Ryu, you have no idea how nice it is to have at least one person to have hope in…"

"We should get you somewhere safe, I-" Faust had stopped, head cocked to the side like a dog listening to something interesting. "What is it?" Faust opened his mouth to answer, but instead shouted,

"Get down!" and pushed him onto the floor to cover him with his less susceptible body as the window and frame were torn out. The wood and glass gave in with a sickening crunch and shatter-spray of glass shards, showering them both with razor-sharp cutting edges. Although it cut them both, it got to Ryu less, and Faust hadn't even flinched in the slightest as glass shards and splinters cut his skin and lodged themselves in his flesh. Ryu scrambled away on his hands and knees, turning around to see their as of yet invisible assailant. What he saw would leave him with nightmares for the rest of his life.

The vampire Faust was talking about was there, filling the window with his wickedly curved form. His great leathery bats' wings beat the air slowly, keeping his thin frame aloft. His ebony hair ruffled in the breeze, accentuating his blazing red eyes as he grinned full of sadistic glee down at Faust, who was kneeling with his hands clutching the sides of his face as he _shrieked._

"It's time, Doll." Nekros grabbed him and flew backward then up and away into the dark oblivion of the night. Faust was left able to face Ryu, and he reached out to his friend, only to see him paralyzed and unable to do little else but strain futilely and watch in shocked horror as Faust is dragged into the night. Nekros' voice carried back to Ryu then, as if it were merely passing through with the wind.

"Do not worry, you are merely paralyzed. I have no desire to harm you… yet. I've only come to claim what's," he drew his tongue up along the side of Faust's face; thereby eliciting a shudder of revulsion. "Mine." Nekros hissed.

When he was finally released, Ryu fell to the floor with a sound loud enough (he figured the vampire must have blocked the first sounds) to wake the others. They came blearily in, waking fully upon seeing the destruction, then panicking over Ryu's injuries. Ryu winced, turning over to look up at their worried faces. 'If they're so quick to help me, why not Faust?' The one word he wouldn't dare think about his friends was _hypocrite_s.

"I'm fine. Faust…Faust...vampire!" And with that final exclamation, Ryu passed out in mental and physical exhaustion. They, namely Horohoro and Yoh, then carried (more like dragged) him through his room and put him in his bed. This accomplished, Anna eventually cleared out everyone but Tamao, who watched over Ryu diligently, awaiting his regaining consciousness.

Out in the hallway, huddled in front of Ryu's room, frantic whispers could be heard.

"What do you think just happened?"

"Did he really just say a _vampire_ did this?"

"How else would they have strength enough to do _that_?"

"He's right. And we would have heard it had it been anything else…"

"Maybe Faust really _is_ a vampire?"

"Don't talk crazy Manta, that's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible Ren."

"It would explain a lot though… The attack on Ren, his escape, and the way he's been acting lately…"

"And we didn't even try to understand! What's he going to think of us now?"

"Probably nothing good."

The others nodded in agreement.


	9. Transformation

Blood Tears,

Chapter Nine:

Transformation

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

* * *

Nekros flew through the night sky, grinning triumphantly as he carried off his prize. His destination was the graveyard, and as soon as he reached hallowed ground he was forced to retract his wings. But he had reached where he wanted to go, so what were a few steps on foot anyway? He carried Faust, struggling and writhing like a captive snake, into a nearby vault.

Inside the vault, romantic candles and blood-red roses lay on every available surface. In the left-hand corner, another girl like the first lay, unconsciously awaiting her turn to be drained. Despite his ineffectual struggles Nekros took Faust up to the sole coffin that resided there, like it was some sick wedding altar.

"Now my sweet, _hush_."

He had previously been running his fingers soothingly through Faust's hair; now he gripped him tightly in place, staring with his hypnotizing eyes into Faust's own panicked and terrified ones. Faust's eyes grew gradually blank, and he ceased to struggle. Nekros looked at his work approvingly, smiling wide enough to show off his now prominent fangs.

They were both kneeling in front of the coffin, the candle light casting eerie flickering shades over them both. Nekros gave a tender smile to Faust, before biting him slowly and lovingly on the neck over his previous marks. Faust's eyes widened in pain, Nekros' fluttered shut in sheer bliss. But he eventually released him, and turned to the wine bottle and crystal goblet (Lord knows _where_ he got it) that sat on the coffin next to them. As Nekros poured out the wine bottle's red contents, Faust realized with a start that it was blood. Once the goblet was full to the rim, he replaced the cork in the bottle and set it aside.

"Now Dear …drink. Drink and you shall be at my side for eternity. We shall rule the world as one!" Upon being told this, and seeing the blood looming ever closer, Faust's struggles resumed. Nekros frowned momentarily, and then grinned like a skull. "Ah! So strong already, to have broken my paralysis! What power you shall have once you are a vampire!" And so his impending doom drew closer as his struggles were rendered ineffectual.

It tasted absolutely vile and he wished he could spit it back into Nekros' face but alas, he couldn't move _anything_. Except he drank like one who had been parched for days in the desert sun. He drank like he had never before; and despite the taste, he found to his revulsion that he _enjoyed_ the sensation. As soon as the horrid process was over, he found that another feeling had started up. It wasn't bad at first, just a slight warmth in his teeth, but then it grew. Facing a burning like the fires of hell, Faust ripped them out himself, rather than face the agony of them working their own way out.

"The longer fangs of a fully-fledged vampire… Oh… So beautiful…"

Faust felt- Oh! How he _felt_! Such power as only the devil can give was welling up inside him, filling him to the brim with possibility. His entire body was electrified with it. He turned to Nekros, then.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't stay with you. Bastard!-" With that he backhanded the other vampire straight across the face, shouting:

"Especially after you turn me against my will! Unfortunately for you, you gave me the power to kill you, and as such, I won't stop until I do so!" With that said, Faust turned and ran from Nekros, ran to the only place he knew he could turn for help. Ryu.

Nekros sat there in stunned silence. The greatest thing to ever happen to his life was running away from him, and all he could do was put a tentative hand up to his cheek where a bruise was already starting to form. But then a smile broke out across his face.

"So feisty… He _will _be mine." For now though, he would let him cool off for a bit.

* * *

Faust wandered through the streets that night; despite knowing that there was but one place he could go, he didn't like the limitation. But Ryu was the only one he could turn to right now, so he walked the long way back to the Onsen. Walked, for the sole realization that he knew he wouldn't be followed, at least at the moment. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. It probably had something to do with his new powers. At any rate, a few minutes later saw him back where he was so rudely torn from what seemed like so long ago. A few quick insistent raps on the door saw Yoh answering it. Faust looked at him coldly.

"Where's Ryu?" He asked, with equal frigidity.

"In his room. And Faust…" Yoh shuffled his feet a bit. "I just wanted to let you know that we believe you… And we'll do what we can to help."

Faust softened a bit, but admonished,

"A lot of good it did me when this first started." As he walked down through the hall to Ryu's room, he felt only slightly better towards his friends.

He didn't even get a chance to knock before Ryu had opened the door, pulled Faust in, and enveloped him in a crushing hug. Needless to say, Faust was a bit overwhelmed with the display of affection.

"I was so worried about you… Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"Ryu… For the moment I'm fine… And if anyone was hurt, it was _him_." Faust blushed a little. "Um… might you please let me go now?"

Ryu noticed Faust's flushed state and reluctantly loosened his grip, though he kept him at a mere arm's length away from him.

"What happened? Did he follow you?"

Ryu's barrage of questions was starting to disorient Faust.

"Whoa, hold on Ryu. Too many questions at once, you know?" Faust smiled sheepishly at Ryu, who loosened his grip a little. "Now, before you ask again, _I'm fine_. And Nekros didn't follow me."

"So that's his name then, is it?" Faust merely nodded, continuing:

"And he… he made me…"

"Yes?"

"He made me a… a full vampire. This is permanent now. At least it's better than becoming a mindless drone, nein?" he tried to laugh but it came out like more of a pained noise. Ryu shut the door softly, pulling Faust over to sit on his bed.

"You can stay here as long as you need to, Faust. But we need to find you a better hiding spot, one where Nekros won't look." He paused for a moment, contemplating his choices. "Why not my gang's place? I'm sure they wouldn't mind, and nobody bothers to look there for _anything_!" He looked at his bedside table clock. "It's thirty minutes to sunrise… Are the legends true? Will the sun hurt you?"

Faust nodded.

"Alright, I guess you can stay here, I'll have to find something to cover the window while I'm gone." Ryu turned and looked at the window thoughtfully, ignorant of Faust, until he slid to the floor at Ryu's feet, taking a pile of blankets with him. "Hey, hey! What's wrong?"

"Gone?" Faust asked, wiping red tears from his face. "Why does everyone I care about leave me?"

Ryu felt a sudden rush of affection and protectiveness for the pale doctor, who was made even paler as he was sitting bathed in moonlight from the window. He cursed the day Nekros was born; it was _his_ fault Faust was in so much pain.

"I'm only going to make sure the place is still ours, rival gangs are always trying to take our place, you know? I won't be gone long. I _promise_."

Ryu was surprised when Faust decided to hug his knees, but his expression softened and he ruffled Faust's hair affectionately.

* * *

At the same time, Nekros was going back to Garradus' place, for he got the feeling of being called back. And he knew enough to trust his feelings, especially about his superior. After all, he really wasn't up to challenging him at the moment.

"Ah Nekros… Come in! It is time for the next part in your sad little play. You need to find a mate. Create another vampire to continue our little line of blood, hmm?"

Nekros stared at Garradus as though he had grown another head.

"You mean you want me to go out and find some _girl_?"

"Not necessarily…" Garradus said vaguely, taking a sip of the questionable red contents of his wineglass. "But hear me on this, Nekros," He started, saying his name like it were some joke to him, "If you do not find a mate, I shall be forced to pick for you."

An image of the girl that led him to Garradus in the first place flashed through his mind, causing his lip to curl in disgust. Garradus stared at him for a moment, or rather _through_ him. He laughed in his usual cryptic manner.

"Ah, I see. You already have a mate in mind don't you. Very well then, if you tell me their name-"

"Not yet!" Nekros growled, "I'll let you know who they are when I bring them to you."

His master laughed coldly.

"You spoil all my fun don't you?" he drew closer. "Remember, it was I who brought your pitiful existence back. I can reverse it just as easily."

Nekros turned with a whirl of black and stalked off, slamming the heavy ebony doors behind him. Garradus laughed cruelly, swirling the content of his wineglass in satisfaction.


	10. Flight

Blood Tears,

Chapter Ten:

Flight

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, but I _do_ own Nekros. Nyah.

Note: I have no idea exactly what I should be calling the place where Yoh and the others are staying… Please correct me if I'm wrong… (Is 'Totally Lost'.)

* * *

To solve the window problem, Ryu found an old can of black paint and painted over the panes until the room was only filled with a light glow, as of moonlight. And by the time he got back, Faust was sound asleep. He would have liked to pause in the doorway and watch the steady rise and fall of Faust's chest but alas, there was none, and besides that, he had work to do.

"Faust. Hey, Faust." With a little shake Ryu tried to rouse his friend from his slumber.

"Was? What is it Ryu?"

"I have some good news and some bad news."

"Yes?"

"The good news is, our place is still there. The bad news is, my bike broke down…We'll have to walk."

* * *

And walk they did, taking Ryu's well known path along streets and alleyways, and Faust thought all the while.

'I don't understand… Ryu is taking this so well. I'd be horrified at _myself_ by now. I'm a vampire! What am I going to do? I can't go on 'living' like this…'

All of a sudden there was the sound of gravel crunching underneath someone's feet. Although it was quiet, it was enough to break Faust from his reverie and make him turn around. What he saw was no surprise, however. Five men, all with a varying array of weapons stood behind them, matching menacing looks in their eyes. They said nothing, but their appearance spoke volumes. Faust spoke not a word either, staying absolutely still, not breathing, with his eyes closed, trying to calm the rush of instinct that flowed through him. All of a sudden It burst out of him in a rage of hell-fury. He darted towards the nearest gang member, immediately latched onto his throat and drained him dry, all in a matter of seconds. Ryu was frozen in shock and rooted to the spot, unable to move- though, did he want to? Faust had just killed the leader of the only rival gang for miles! But what was he thinking? Ryu shook his head to physically clear his thoughts. By that time, Faust had dispatched another of the five, dropping his hold with a quick gasp and a turn to the next, who was frozen like a frightened rabbit. They were all forced to watch as one by one, their comrades fell as lifeless, bloodless husks to the ground. It was the most horrid thing any of them had ever witnessed, this methodical murder in cold blood.

The last man actually had the good sense to run, but it was too late. In a blur Faust caught up to him, savagely breaking his neck to gain better access. He finished the man's blood with a sated sigh; whoever said that a vampire's hunger was never satiated was wrong. He felt full, pleasantly so. It was unfortunate that he had to do more than merely incapacitate them. But time was of the essence.

Ryu was struck dumb. Faust was usually always so kind, so soft-spoken, almost to a fault.

Faust was walking towards him, stumbling slightly.

"I guess I drank too much…" He then laughed at his own bad pun.

It seemed surreal, all of it. He felt himself go lightheaded. Faust turned, concerned, as if he had already forgotten what had happened. And the next thing he knew his vision went black and he was falling, falling…

* * *

When Ryu regained his senses, he blinked into a brightness that had nothing to do with the sun.

"Angel…"

"Oh Ryu! You're alright!" Ryu was suddenly enveloped in a hug, which he instantly returned. They remained that way for a few seconds, until Faust suddenly thought of something, twisting around so he could take off one of his gloves. Faust gasped in joy and amazement at what he saw.

"What is it?" Ryu asked, confused now.

"It's normal! No blue, no veins… just… normal… I must be at least ten years younger! Ryu, look at my eyes!" Ryu did as asked and it was his turn to make a surprised sound. Faust's eyes, once underlined with dark circles, now looked awake and alert for once. Too add to that, Faust's eye color had gone from a dull silvery turquoise to an unnerving electric blue. They stared into each others' eyes with an unbreakable intensity, drawing imperceptibly closer before Ryu's eyes caught sight of that brightness he'd seen upon awakening.

"Your hair… No wonder I mistook you for an angel!" Faust blinked at him, feeling minutely disappointed for a moment, before grabbing some of his hair and bringing it before his face so he could see it. His hair was a shimmering pale blond, not like an albino, but more unearthly; it was breathtakingly beautiful now.

Unbeknownst to them, the sun had started to peek over the treetops. It soon became clear, despite their admiring Faust's new appearance, that something was up.

"What's wrong? Is- Oh gods! The _sun_!" And it was obvious that Faust was in pain from the sunlight, he gritted his teeth to keep from crying out as they resumed running once more. The pain became unbearable for Faust once they cleared the slightly darker alley, and he was unable to hold sound in any longer.

The harsh sunlight had burnt off large patches of his skin, exposing a flash of white bone before that too was charred within moments. Faust was making short, yet loud shrieks of pain, enough to draw curiously concerned looks from all passersby in earshot.

They were almost there; Ryu could see their safe haven only a dozen or so yards away. Faust was beginning to stop making those shrieks, and to start quietly whimpering. This didn't bode well; it meant Faust's power to stay coherent was dwindling. Faust would die for good for certain if he didn't do something. Faust was starting to lag behind, so Ryu picked him up quickly, and therefore sped up their pace by quite a bit; it was enough to get them to safety in time.

The old building's doors and windows were boarded up, so once they went through the secret entrance they were in relative pitch blackness. Ryu quickly turned on a lamp so he could assess the damage to his friend. He was no doctor, but he knew it must be bad enough to cause excruciating pain. Faust had lost consciousness, that wasn't a good sign, but it might mean he was conserving his energy to heal.

As the hours passed, Faust's burns healed slowly before his eyes. Ryu was much relieved, not willing to admit defeat quite so soon. But as the hours passed, so did the sun move through the sky, heading towards the horizon. Faust eventually woke, sitting up on the makeshift bed that Ryu had put together. His expression let Ryu know just how scared he really was, a look that was reflected in his own eyes, he was sure.

* * *

It was almost sunset. It was almost the end of days. Despite whatever 'love' that Nekros felt for Faust, both of them knew that the other vampire would soon be after them, filled with pent up rage.

"Ryu." Ryu looked up, expression filled with hopelessness. "If I could only ask you one thing, would you do it?" Ryu knew better than to agree without hearing the rest, having a sinking feeling he knew where this was going. "I need you to stake me… end this pitiful excuse for a 'life'." Ryu closed his eyes and clenched his hands.

"I _love_ you! I can't!"

"You can, it's _easy_. If you do love me… then you'll kill me. Please Ryu…" The look on Faust's face was heartbreaking. He sat next to Ryu, clutching the other's shirt in his hands while resting against his leg. Ryu shook his head vehemently, standing firm on his decision.

"Wouldn't that mean giving in to death? That thing you hate more than anything in our world? Do you remember the years you toiled to bring others back? Or hove you forgotten all that was dear to you?"

Faust's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. His eyes welled up with those tears of blood, and he managed to choke out,

"No. I haven't… I haven't forgotten. How could I ask you this?" The tears came then, and Ryu held him in a tight embrace.

"It's okay, I understand."

"What are we going to do? I can feel him getting strengthened by the night just as I!"

"I have an idea… There's a basement in here, with only one way in. I'll bar the door as best I can, alright?"

* * *

Ryu leaned against the barrier he had set up in front of the door, testing it for any weaknesses. Finding none, as he had done this several times before, he turned to Faust with a small smile.

"This should be more effective than a simple window, don't you think?" Faust had his arms wrapped around himself as though he were cold.

"I certainly hope so, for _both_ of our sakes…"

There were no windows in the small room, so they couldn't see if the sun had set by now. But Faust could sense it. Ryu looked at him at length, and he nodded. This was it.

"He's getting closer… I can _feel_ it."

"How do we have?" Ryu's face was grim. Faust paused, thinking.

"Three minutes at most."

"_Fuck_. Why is he so set on you? You didn't even do anything but resist from the very beginning!" The doctor-turned-vampire's face abruptly shot around to stare at the door.

"He's here." he whispered.

"Oh my, it seems I've got kitty cornered!" Nekros' voice rang out, with a happy tone due to his little pun. There was a great force upon the door, but the barrier held. They could hear the frown in Nekros' next words. "What's this?" Then there was an uneasy silence. A few seconds later, Faust backed up quickly to the far wall, pressing himself into it like he hoped he'd disappear. Ryu was about to ask why, when he saw it too. A blurriness had emerged around the edges of the door, and then a black mist slowly crept in.

It gathered into a hazy, hovering shape in the air- It was Nekros, using a newly acquired power to get inside.

"No!" Ryu picked up a loose pipe from off the floor and swung it at the rapidly solidifying shape. But it was too late. Nekros, now whole, easily blocked the blow with his upraised arm. His eyes, however, were on the still-cowering Faust.

"Poor thing… You don't have to fear, I haven't come for revenge on _you_." Nekros briefly flickered his gaze to Ryu's enraged eyes. Ryu knew better than to challenge him now; it could very well cost him his life. Nekros stalked over to where Faust stood, staring at him with wide fearful eyes, despite the older vampire's assurance.

Nekros grabbed the doctor by the wrist and pulled him tightly to his chest. Faust struggled, but it was in vain; his grip was that of steel. Before Ryu could do or say anything, they started to fade into that black mist, which began to flow through the cracks in the doorframe. Faust looked at Ryu the whole time with desperate eyes. As they finally vanished, Ryu let out an inarticulate cry of rage and loss, as he tore apart the clutter that blocked the door.

But by the time he could open it, he was only able to catch the barest glimpse of large wings framed by the moon. Ryu fell to his knees in grief. He had been defeated yet again.

* * *

End Notes: I swear I wrote this without intending for an Underworld type eye thing… ("D'oh face".) 


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